Saturday 23/6 – Friday 29/6

Saturday 23/6

I awoke at 07:45 after some curious but fun dreams, and found the weather to be fair still. It was, in fact, a glorious summer morning, and the lower parts of the valley were all in the green. Wanting to make use of the day I considered my options, and ended up deciding to visit Leaibečeabetčohkka.

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I started out by throwing myself into the "tub" by the sauna, and then checked the cottages, finding no sign of visits during the day. Now, finally, the delta grass was all above the water again, but no elks were to be seen eating it. After some quality time on the porch I started baking a pizza, using the excess dough to make scones. While the pizza was in the oven a group of four followed by one Australian arrived from the north, carrying news that explained why things had been so quiet of late: there had been a large landslide on the Ritsem road, and Vakkotavare was cut off. After they had had a chance to shop I had my pizza down at the table, followed by more forest-watching.

High wads of cloud were rolling in, veiling the sun, but it was still nice outside. As scones are best consumed fresh and I had more than necessary I brought a four-piece bun over to the four-group, who graciously accepted it, and (later) gave some advice on their planned continuation in the form of a one-day walk to Kebnekaise. Myself, I was feeling tired, but managed to stay up for the third quarter-final. Outside it was clear and still, and quite cool, and there was a feeling of serenity over the land. When the game was done I was thankful to slip off to bed, weary as I was.

Sunday 24/6

The next morning there were high veils in the sky, diminishing the sun, but it was fairly warm and still. Looking out I also saw that one of the rooms in the lower cottage had the window covered, which indicated that some sounds I thought I had heard just as I was falling asleep had indeed been those of late arrivals. They took their sweet time waking up, however, and I spent the time reading outside while I waited for that to happen. Eventually I detected movement and went to deliver a belated greeting; it turned out to be four young guys who had left Kebnekaise just before noon the previous day, having been up to the South Peak the day before that. While they had a (very) late breakfast outside I busied myself with rearranging some utensils between the various spaces, and just after they left I sat down on my porch for a summery lunch myself.

There were still veils in the sky, but it was warm nonetheless, even despite a shifting wind. I found a small shelf down in the storage building and proceeded to put it up above my bed, after which I spent some quality time outside, enjoying the nice day. Later a couple of guys came from the north, in the form of an American and a Swede, and we spoke for quite some time out on the porch. They brought news of the Ritsem road – apparently it had been fixed to the point that the buses would start again "on the morrow". Following their plan to conserve money they opted to camp some distance away, but soon thereafter more people started coming, and before long I had four house guests plus another distance-tenter. The first two came back for a social call after dinner, preparing their own outside. Not much else happened besides the final quarter-final, which was a tie at full time, and I didn't feel up to following the extension, so I just shut off the radio and called it a night.

Greener...

...surroundings

Monday 25/6

When I awoke the sky was filled with high clouds and some light drops were falling. This increased to a light rain, but by the time the last overnight guests left things were looking up again, and it was rather warm. After reading through a collection of writings from older wardens I decided to go out on another fishing tour, and did so at 11:45.

I followed the path to the beach, observing a small tent in a scrubby hollow, and had a quick lunch immediately upon arrival. Then I went down to the backwater bay, where a few casts later I caught something – and this something, in the form of a brown trout, was rather large. To my great chagrin it managed to slip away literally inches from shore, and I was a split second too late to grab it. Damn! At first I thought that the fishing line had snapped too, but this turned out not to be the case.

Not long thereafter the spinner got stuck at the bottom, and I couldn't get it loose. As I walked to and fro, trying different angles, I thought I felt it yield slightly, and with some careful reeling and pulling I eventually discovered the cause – the spinner had caught itself in someone else's tangle of line, which itself was tangled with a tuft of grass and earth, and the whole mess appeared to be fixed to the bottom by a separate strand of line. I managed to get it close enough to loosen my own spinner, and then I cut that strand so that neither I nor anyone else would get tangled up in the thing again.

I proceeded downstream, trying the other backwaters, and as I did so strong gusts of wind came from the north. Closer to the outflow things were really summery, and I was excited to feel another clear pull in the line, similar in strength to the last one – but this time I lost it even before catching sight of it. Growl. I had something else on soon thereafter, but nothing came of that either. Then I just caught seaweed, so I soon called it quits, just as I observed a couple of figures up on the rise. I directed my steps in their general direction, climbing the steep slope of said rise, but they were already walking off. I returned to the cottages, following a lower path I had not seen before. In the last snow I spotted some dog tracks, so I walked straight to the lower cottage where such creatures are allowed, finding half of a Finnish family (and the dog) inside at 13:45.

Trying my hand...

...at fishing again

We started out speaking in Swedish, and then switched to English as that was more comfortable for the others. The remaining two soon came back, and we talked a bit about fishing. Later in the afternoon the Finns made some substantial purchases, followed by another Finn (no relation) who had his tent and "boat" (more likely a kayak, but that's what he said) down by Gáidumjohka. One of the other Finns soon came by and realized their common ground, and when I joined in they switched to English. The sun was passing out of the celestial veils, and it was very nice and summery outside – finally.

After dinner I went down to the Finns and spent a good while talking outside the lower cottage. One of the kids had hidden the beer cans in the snow, and had drawn a treasure map for daddy in case he wanted to find them (he did, with some help). Later on the clouds pulled tight and let some light rain fall, but they held a high position while doing so. Since there was no football for a few days there was nothing to keep me up, and it felt good to go to bed a bit earlier than usual.

Tuesday 26/6

It was semi-clear, sunny and warm when I arose, but more clouds were hanging in the southwest, and soon the peaks attracted ones of their own. After waving off the Finns I started another round of bread baking, while a large cloud poured itself over Stuor and Unna Avrrik, and there was some wind as well.

Sáŋarčohkka

Storage building before Livamčohkka

In the afternoon two hikers came from the north and decided to stay. Later on a total of five foreigners stopped by for a break, all going south; the last two were a couple of Swedish-speaking Finns who had ordered boat transport to Tjuonajokk (from Tjuonajokk) the next morning, and would be picked up in the vicinity of the Gáidumgeahči Sámi encampment. The wind was on the increase, and when the sun passed into cloud the result was rather chilly.

Having discovered that the gas indicator outside my cottage was showing red I brought up a fresh canister from the dedicated storage, which was far from easy given the weight (~90kg) of those things and the less than even nature of the ground, but I managed. Then I went in and talked with my guests, which extended for rather a long while, as they were not that experienced in these things and were very interested in what I had to tell on the topics of fjelds, STF, Sámi etc. Outside the wind had lessened but there were more clouds instead, and it was somewhat cool. Nothing else worthy of note happened, and I could turn in at 22 o'clock.

Wednesday 27/6

It was still windy in the morning, and my room was cool as a result. The sun was out, however, and sheltered from the wind it was rather warm, which the others took advantage of by having breakfast outside the upper cottage. It was time for laundry, and I put on water for this purpose; since I needed quite a lot, the other two had left by the time it was hot. I did the actual laundering on the porch of the upper cottage, hidden away from the wind, which was getting weaker anyway, and rinsed over at the sauna. Having hung the stuff up to dry I tightened the hinges on a couple of troubled privy doors, and put up a hasp on another. Just as I was preparing lunch two people came from Singi, followed by another one, and it was some time yet before I could sit down on the porch and actually eat it.

Stuor Avrrik to the north

Li'l sauna

Things escalated from there. The afternoon was one long string of visitors, overnight ones and campers alike; it was like the proverbial plug had been proverbially pulled what with the Ritsem buses' having been reinstated. In the end I counted around 20 day visitors, 11 overnight guests, and two campers just outside, so I had my hands full for most of the day and evening. I did manage to squeeze in the first semi-final, though, which also ended in a tie, but this time I followed it through to its penalties conclusion, not turning in until 23:30.

Thursday 28/6

Tent on patch

It was mostly cloudy in the morning, with the heaviest concentration in the southwest as usual. As the morning progressed it grew clearer in the northern quadrant of the sky, slowly extending southwards. People drifted off one after the other, and just as I was having lunch two new ones (Finns) came, but they would only have some lunch of their own before continuing. It was quite fair outside, if a bit windy, and I went for a little walk, concentrating on the low flowers that were growing more numerous now.

Back at my cottage I went through the pictures stored on the memory card, deleting duplicates and failed ones, and then turned to my book. The two campers who had arrived latest the evening before had finally gotten up, and now sought to use the kitchen before moving on. More people came and went in the meantime, including two older ladies who put up their tent in the vicinity; one of them borrowed a couple of blankets against the forecast cold night.

The previous campers were still present, apparently being in no hurry whatsoever, and I spent some time talking with them and one of the other guests on the lee side of the upper cottage. It took until well after dinner (19:30, in fact) before they managed to actually start walking, and I gave them some tips on the continued route and suitable campsites along the way. Then it was time for the second semi-final, which got more exciting towards the end, but this time there were no penalties, and I went to bed immediately afterwards.

Fair evening

Sun upon Sáŋarčohkka's peak

Friday 29/6

The next day held only a few high, light clouds, and even those were pulling apart. It was also almost still and fairly warm, so I forthwith prepared for a day tour. Only two people (Austrians) were still present in the upper cottage, and they took the opportunity to buy some extra chocolate before I left. This I didn't do straight away, however, for I knew that an STF group consisting of 12 people would be coming from Teusajaure, and had been instructed to reserve beds for them. Conveniently enough I had one 4-bed room and one 8-bed one, so that was easy.

The people in the lower cottage were just waking up, and after checking in on them (they were going to try for Sáŋarčohkka and then stay another night) I put out a few baskets with select items from the shop together with a price list and a small box of change – up until then there had been so little people about that I just locked up the whole place when I went out, but now it seemed prudent to offer some basics for passers-by during the day – and then set out at 09:30.

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There was no one present, and the in-my-absence baskets seems untouched as well. Figures. I went over to the sauna at once and lowered myself into the stream (followed by a quick emergence), and then prepared a spread of welcoming lemonade for the group. Before they arrived, however, another pair did, but they were only interested in using the kitchen before going on, but the next two to come by stayed.

Finally the group also made it, and we chatted a bit outside before a few of them came in to the shop to acquire their dinner. In the meantime two Swedish girls arrived and opted to stay in the dog room, and a single Swedish man chose the forest patch for his tent. The Sáŋarčohkka climbers also returned; they had indeed reached the top and were very content with their day. More shopping ensued all round, and eventually I had to close the place down in order to get a chance to have dinner.

More people had arrived during this half-hour or so, which meant more shop duty. Then I went over to the group and got treated to some dessert, and after speaking some more I went down to the lower cottage and did the same (sans dessert), where I also found the tenter. More food purchasing for the group followed – they needed stuff for Singi, which has no shop – but then things quieted down. Apart from the wind, that is – out on the lake the waves were high enough to break.